www.westernleader.co.nz
5
WESTERN LEADER, JANUARY 20, 2012
Advertising Feature
Weekend Drive
View our latest edition online at www.westernleader.co.nz and connect to websites, emails and editorial profiles
• OVER 100 TOP QUALITY CARS IN STOCK RIGHT NOW • ALL PRICES INCLUDE ON ROAD COSTS - NO HIDDEN EXTRAS • PROUD TO BE LOCALLY OWNED SINCE 1990
157 Central Park Drive
Henderson , Auckland
Phone: 09 836 8314 FAX: 09 836 8311
Email: sales@croydons.co.nz
www.croydons.co.nz
Central Park Drive
Tony St
Lincoln Road
Triangle Rd
We are
here
Mobil
With 21 years experience Croydon Wholesalers
are Direct Import Price Leaders!
• Top Quality Vehicles
• Fully Backed By Warranties
• Superb Customer Service
• Experienced, Dedicated Staff
• Tremendous Range and Options
THE TOTAL PACKAGE
THE TOTAL PACKAGE
McEntee
Hire
03 SUBARU LEGACY B4 SEDAN
2.O TIPTRONIC ALL WHEEL DRIVE, NEW
SHAPE, HUGE REDUCTION.
07 NISSAN AD WINGROAD
1.8 AUTOMATIC, 88KMS, PERFECT
WORKHORSE, NOW A CRAZY
08 SUZUKI SWIFT XG
AUTOMATIC, JUST 34KMS, ECONOMICAL
MOTORING FOR JUST
02 TOYOTA GAIA
2.0 AUTOMATIC, 7 SEATER, VERY TIDY
CONDITION, QUALITY COMPACT PEOPLE
MOVER.
04 HONDA ACCORD EURO 24T SEDAN
H
I
G
HO
U
T
P
U
T2
4
T
,A
U
T
O
M
A
T
I
C
,H
I
G
H
SPEC AND BEAUTIFUL TO DRIVE! MASSIVE
SAVINGS.
09 SUZUKI SPLASH
CURRENT MODEL, STUNNING COLOUR, ULTRA
ECONOMY,GOOD KMS, REDUCED TO
06 NISSAN TIIDA LATIO SEDAN
NEW GENERATION 1.5, AUTOMATIC, 83KMS,
VERY CLEAN VEHICLE, AMAZING VALUE AT
JUST
03 NISSAN CARAVAN DX
2.0, 5 SPEED MANUAL, ONLY 68KMS, LPG
ECONOMY, FANTASTIC VALUE AT
06 SUBARU IMPREZZA 1.5 AUTO
GOOD LOOKING FACELIFT MODEL, FULL
ELECTRICS, SPORTY LATE MODEL HATCH.
04 SUBARU LEGACY OUTBACK
2.5 TIPTRONIC, HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER
COLOUR COMBINATION, BE IMPRESSED!
05 HONDA ACCORD INSPIRE
3.0 V6, VERY HIGH SPEC LUXURY SEDAN,
SILVER WITH CHARCOAL INTERIOR.
06 NISSAN VANETTE
1.8 AUTO, 3 SEATER, CLOTH INTERIOR, VERY
TIDY VAN.
02 TOYOTA IST 1.5
HIGH SPEC 1500cc AUTOMATIC, CHAMPAGNE
WITH A CHARCOAL INTERIOR, TOP QUALITY
HATCH FOR
06 HOLDEN COMMODORE VZ
3.6 AUTOMATIC, ONLY 77KMS, FINISHED IN
TRUE RED! GREAT DETAILS, REAL VALUE AT
02 HONDA CRV SECOND GENERATION CRV,
RARE 5 SPEED MANUAL 4X4, INCREDIBLY
LOW 24KMS, THE BEST GO ANYWHERE, DO
ANYTHING VEHICLES ON THE MARKET!
NOW $10995!
$12995!
$14995!
NOW JUST $8995!
NOW $13995!
$13995!
$10995!
$13995!
NOW $11995
NOW ONLY $16995
$13995
$11995
$10995
$13995
$17995
Journey to boost Chrysler's rise
The improved Dodge
people mover is set to
increase the Italian/Amer-
ican company's sales
writes PAUL OWEN.
What car company enjoyed
one of the biggest increases in
new vehicle sales on the New
Zealand market during 2011?
Almost unbelievably, it was
Chrysler, which has now hit
the comeback trail with a
vengeance since the Obama
administrations corporate
welfare prevented it from
going under in 2009.
Chrysler, which sells most
of its vehicles under Dodge
and Jeep brands in this mar-
ket, experienced a 40 percent
increase in sales during 2011,
the success driven by favour-
able currency exchange,
aggressive marketing, and
the increased quality of the
cars it produces.
The first step in Chrysler s
Lazarus-like comeback was
the much improved new-
generation Jeep Grand
Cherokee, however this
month sees the arrival on our
shores of a more affordable
new vehicle that could drive
the Dodge brand right into
the heart of the suburban
mainstream -- the revised
seven-seat Journey.
The new Journey is out-
wardly recognisable as the
previous model, circa 2008,
from every angle except the
front view where the new
cross-haired grille distin-
guishes it.
It s only when you step
inside that you witness the
huge steps forward that the
model has taken since Fiat
CEO, Sergio Marchionne,
took over the leadership of
Chrysler.
Dull grey Fisher Price-
mimicking hard plastics have
been mostly replaced with
soft-touch materials of more
inspiring hues, and a
Mercedes-Benz S-class design
theme determines the pleas-
ing shapes of air vents,
instrument pods, and control
panels.
Meanwhile the previous
Journey s interior highlights
remain -- the deep storage
bins located under the
sliding/folding second-row
seats, the self-draining stow-
age for wetsuits and fishing
gear, and the occasional
third-row seats that have the
potential to serve any car-
pool well.
Like the original Journey,
the wagon body s high waist-
line and chunky window
pillars restrict the driver s
sightlines, and this makes it
almost mandatory to spend
another $1500 on one of the
few options available for the
model -- a combined reversing
camera/DVD entertainment
system.
The limited list of options
on offer is simply because the
new Journey is absolutely
loaded with stuff as it comes
from the box, and the equip-
ment inventory can with-
stand comparison with that of
luxury-brand wagons.
Even the entry-level
$39,990 SXT Journey comes
with a touch-screen control
interface, exceptionally clear
Bluetooth connectivity, cruise
control, and three-zone cli-
mate control.
Step up to the $45,990 R/T
version, and all seven seats
will be leather-clad, the front
row pews now contain
heaters, the 17 inch alloys
grow to size 19s, and a sub-
woofer will be added to the
six-speaker Alpine audio.
Its clear from the quality of
the interior of the Dodge, its
raft of standard equipment,
and its value price positi-
oning, that Chrysler s New
Zealand distributor is pass-
ing on the favourable cur-
rency exchange it enjoys
when purchasing the two new
Journey models.
The Journey R/T has the
potential to ask the hardest
question of alternate buying
choices like Fords $54,990
2wd Territory TS. Why spend
the extra $9000 to sit on cloth
instead of leather?
Performance-wise, the new
Journey has the firepower to
more than match other petrol
six-cylinder seven-seat family
vehicles.
Chrysler s 206kW, 3.6 litre
vvt-equipped V6 first made
its debut here in the Grand
Cherokee. In a substantially
lighter vehicle like the
Journey, the new V6 is even
feistier drive when driving
the front wheels via a six-
speed automatic gearbox.
Expect to reach 100kph
from rest in around eight
seconds, and to top out at a
claimed maximum of 208kph
if the highway patrol will let
you.
The Journey s vehicle
dynamics are also on the
money, provided you like a lot
of power assistance at the
wheel. For me, this proved
dead handy round town but
not so welcome when driving
at higher speeds on the open
road.
Italladdsuptoalotofcar
for the money.